The Truth
by Doctor-River
Summary: Based on Let's Kill Hitler, the Doctor's message Melody needs to give to River is really the start of something special...


**A/N: This is just a shippy little oneshot as well as an alternate ending to Let's Kill Hitler that will satisfy all Doctor/River fans I hope! I based the parts of this not from the episode around what I thought the Doctor whispered to Melody to tell River. This is to tide you over until I get the next chapter of 'Avast Timetraveller' up, I'm still having a bit of trouble with it so bear with me please! Enjoy this in the mean time...**

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><p>"I need to speak with your daughter..."<p>

He mumbled to his companions at his side. Their confused, scared daughter took a cautious step closer to the dying Time-Lord lying on the steps. She kneeled down next to him, leaning close to his body. Her guilt was rising; as the day went on she began to develop more care for this man despite the fact that she was trained to kill him.

"Find her..." he whispered to the woman next to him. "Find River Song and give her a message..." his voice was deep and croaky.

"What's the message?" she asked as she leaned closer to him.

He whispered 3 simple words in her ear which made her chuckle softly. "Well... I'm sure she knows." She smiled softly.

As she pulled her head away from his she noticed that he was motionless. Her hearts shattered at the moment of realisation. She stood and backed away to join her grieving parents. "Who's River Song?" she wondered. He had constantly mentioned her throughout the whole day, she couldn't help but think that she was more than a friend to him and with the message she was told to deliver, she just had to know who River was.

Amy marched over to the robot version of herself "Are you still working? I'm still a relative, show records of River Song." She requested.

"Records available." The robot responded.

"Show me her... show me River Song..." Amy ordered the android version of herself.

After a moment the robot began to morph into a new person. The face changed first and as soon as the new face took shape, Melody realised who it was. The face of River Song staring back at her was her own. Tears formed in her crystal eyes as she gazed at her future, this is what she would become someday. She would become the woman the Doctor depended on...

She knew what she had to do...

She wasn't going to let him down now. She began to walk back over to the Time-Lord with her newfound knowledge and a plan.

"River, what are you doing?" Rory questioned, sounding slightly concerned. He wasn't quite sure which name to address her by.

"...Is he worth it?" Melody asked. "Is the Doctor worth it?" she stepped towards him, her hands glowing a bright amber colour.

"...Yes, yes he is so worth it." Amy firmly replied.

That was all the confirmation she needed. Melody knelt down at the Doctor's side again, her hands on either side of his face and she leaned in closer.

The Doctor's eyes eased open and the first sight he was graced with was this beautiful, impossible woman who's been there for him whenever he needed her. She was engulfed in a soft amber glow, a familiar glow. He knew what she was doing... "River... no..." he pleaded in a weak voice.

"...Hello Sweetie..." Her tone was a tone he knew all too well. She has become River Song.

She pressed her lips to his tenderly. The orange light swirling and twirling around the pair of them as their lips locked in the kiss of life. The regenerative energy flowed through the Doctor's body and within moments he could respond to the kiss much better than he did the first time River Song had kissed him back in the Stormcage.

But he noticed something was wrong, Melody's movements against his lips were slowing. He carefully began to sit up as he became more alert of the situation. His arms enveloped Melody in a safe hold as her body started to go limp. He cradled her in his arms as she blacked out from being so drained of energy. He rested her head in his arms as her body was lying across his legs.

Amy and Rory approached them; their concern for their daughter was growing. "Doctor, what happened? Amy questioned as her eyes fell on the weak woman in the Doctor's hold.

"She gave me her regenerative energy..." He smiled and stroked her forehead, running his hand through her soft curls. "River Song, you amazing person..."

"Is she going to be ok?" Rory knelt beside them and looked at his daughter with worry in his eyes.

"She needs rest, but she'll be fine... She used all of her regenerations to save me..." He explained.

"What does that mean?" Amy panicked slightly.

"It means this is the last body she'll have..." The Doctor answered as he looked down at Melody, still stroking her face. The images of her last moments flooding through his mind, he knew how it ended for her. "Come along Ponds, this is no place for her to rest..." he smiled and stood up, carrying Melody into the TARDIS, as he tried to conceal the sadness he felt seeing her death replaying once more in his head.

Amy and Rory followed him inside. He rested Melody carefully on the jump seat and started to press buttons, flip switches and pull levers on the console. Rory knelt next to the jump seat watching over his daughter, he hoped his nurse skills could come in handy to look after her.

"Where are we taking her?" Amy asked as she strolled up next to the Doctor, her eyes keeping watch on Melody.

"Somewhere safe, somewhere she can start her new life..." the Doctor smiled as he flipped the last switch. The TARDIS shook, almost throwing them off balance. "Oh almost forgot those stabilisers..." he pressed the blue button and the TARDIS levelled out. He glanced back to Melody. "How could I forget? You taught me... I guess they do come in handy, given the circumstances."

Amy smiled softly, remembering how childish the Doctor was acting when River flew the TARDIS better than he did the first time when she used the stabilisers and landed the TARDIS with ease next to the Byzantium. Rory too remembered how she knew the controls better than he did in Utah and only imagined how she flew it better the first time.

The Doctor checked the scanner screen and looked over to the Ponds on the other side of the room. "There's a bed outside of her and a nurse should be there soon to look after her..." He walked over and cradled Melody in his arms.

Rory opened the TARDIS doors and stepped out, with Amy shortly after. They looked around the room; they were in an alien hospital and had a private room. The Doctor gently placed Melody on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He stroked her cheek and sat by her bed until the nurse came to examine her.

After she had been examined, the nurse left them alone for a while as there was nothing seriously wrong with her. It was a very long, quiet while of sitting and waiting until they got any response from Melody.

She stirred slightly; her parents came by her bed and watched her. She groaned slightly and shifted in the bed. Her eyelids fluttered and eased open. Everything was all blurry for a moment before focussing clearly.

"Hey." Her mother smiled at her.

"Hey..." she replied sleepily and closed her eyes again. "...Mother, where am I?"

"You're in hospital. Apparently you used all of your spare regenerations at once and you're not meant to do that..." Amy said.

"The Doctor said no one could save him, but I guess I could..." she spoke tiredly.

"Rule 1: I lie..." the Doctor replied simply as he approached her bed from the window seat.

The nurse stood in the doorway monitoring Melody. "She needs rest, we will look after her." Melody closed her eyes lying contently in the bed knowing this man will be there for her even though she killed him.

The Doctor placed a small blue package on the bed side table; it was wrapped in a red bow. The object was a TARDIS blue book, brand new and ready to record so many adventures.

"She's just beginning... and she'll be amazing." The Doctor smiled down at her.

He gestured to Amy and Rory to go back inside the TARDIS. Both Amy and Rory gave her a kiss on the hand before getting up and entering the police box in the corner of the room. "...I'll catch up." The Doctor said to Amy as she was waiting at the door for him. She nodded and went inside, closing the door softly behind her.

The Doctor approached Melody's bed and he perched himself on the side, one hand holding hers whilst the other gently caressed her cheek. He felt her gently squeeze his hand in response. "Melody..." he whispered her name to see if she was awake or just stirring slightly.

She lifted a finger to his lips before he could speak another word. "Not anymore... in this body it's River Song." Her weak voice barely spoke but she managed a smile.

"Ok then, River... thank you." He returned her smile, gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"...I knew I had to do it once I found out I was her..." she sleepily explained. "I guess I'll be seeing a lot more of you in the future then..." her tone had brightened up, sounding hopeful almost like she was begging him.

"Yes you will be, and that's a promise" he grinned at her.

"I look forward to it..." she faintly laughed. "But how will I find you? It wasn't exactly easy today!"

"You're River Song..." he leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. "You'll figure it out..."

He pulled his head away and smiled at her, his eyes gazing into hers. Her aqua limpid pools of determination twinkling brightly, matching the warm smile on her flawless face, he was absolutely mesmerised by this wonderful woman. This was her at the start before spoilers and teasing, everything that happened to her and will happen in the short amount of time before she travels the stars with the Doctor will shape their entire complex, non-chronological relationship. The Doctor himself was only just getting started in their relationship, but for once he enjoyed knowing just the slightest bit more than her. She drifted off again as he was musing about how amazing she had been so far.

He leaned closer to her and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead as he echoed the three words that had to be said to her, only this time they were to her, not for her.

"I love you..."


End file.
